One problem that operators and users of communications systems and particularly wireless communication systems often need to address is that of security or privacy for communications on these systems. This problem may be particularly pronounced in systems that provide service to a multitude of users via communications units, such as cellular phones. One technique used by miscreants to monitor another's communication includes using a cloned communication unit or phone, where a cloned unit is configured to duplicate all identification characteristics, such as identification/serial numbers of a legitimate/authorized phone.
Many such systems and standards that define such systems include provisions for authorizing and authenticating communication units that utilize the services. For example the cellular system defined by the well known IS-2000 standards specifies procedures for authentication, however these procedures and the requisite equipment can be a financial burden for a system operator and typically add latency to obtaining or acquiring services, e.g. while the phone is being authenticated, etc.
Clearly a need exists for cost effective approaches for detecting cloned communication units.